Grand Châtelet

The Grand Châtelet was a fortress and prison in Paris, France that was built in 1130 by King Louis VI of France. From 1190, it served as the headquarters of the Provost Marshal (effectively the ruler of the city) along with his lieutenants and 48 advisors. For centuries, the magistrates of the Grand Châtelet clashed with those of the Hotel de Ville over jurisdiction, and the Grand Châtelet had fallen into such repair in 1460 that court was held at the Louvre until 1506. In 1684, the Grand Châtelet was almost completely rebuilt by King Louis XIV of France, and it became a notorious prison fortress, with the prisoners being massacred by sans-culottes during the September Massacres of 1792. From 1802 to 1810, the Grand Châtelet was demolished and the Place du Châtelet created at the north end of the bridge.